Note: Pupa’s training has gone slow, but steady. With the exception of myself, any other thing would most likely choke on her if they tried to eat her. I'm trying to hold back my anger at her… specialties, but, I digress, she's going to change as we all will, starting with her sleep.

Chrysalis and Pupa stood next to a cocoon. Pupa now stood about the size of an apple, and certain changes were happening. For starters, her hands and feet have been fully turned to that of a true Changeling-like, with the nails on her fingers and toes being black, sharp and hard like a changeling’s shell, though feet ended with hooves. Popping from her backs, though barely, were small, insect wings that were no bigger than her hands. Along with her, she began to develop a web-like tail that was short, though her hair was slowly transitioning into the same web-like structure.

“... You want me to sleep in that?” Pupa asked.

“It's only fitting that you have your own place to sleep in.” Chrysalis answered, sliding Pupa to it. “And if it gets small, I'll be sure to have the drones make a new one for you.”

“... But why would I want to sleep in that? I'm alright with you.” Chrysalis groaned.

“Look, we may be a hive, but we all need some personal space and little lesson in independency. Besides… we don't want another one of those nights, do we?”

“...Oh.”

Note: It's happened a couple of times. When Pupa was smaller, there were some days where she'd wind up in my gut. As of late, however, Pupa has been under my flanks. While Pupa has gotten out unharmed each time, it's not that great when you're small and stuck in between my two, titanic sized buttcheeks (As she calls my flanks) that each weigh a ton to her. It was a lot more embarrassing when I have my good dreams and enjoy the feeling of her struggles…. And I thought my relationship with my mother was this awkward.

“Right,” Pupa spoke, remembering those days. “So… how do I get in?”

“Like if it was a bed.” Chrysalis spoke. “Now get in; it's been a long day and I need my beauty sleep.” Pupa nodded and entered her Cocoon on all fours. As it's normal for Changelings, it was snug with just enough space for her to move around in when she turns in her sleep. Chrysalis, a bit unceremoniously, picked the Cocoon up and stuck it onto a stalagmite just a few feet from the floor.

“Uh, mom?” Pupa spoke.

“What?” Chrysalis groaned.

“How do I go to the bathroom?”

Note: I seriously need to make more places where Pupa can do her… business in. I keep forgetting that humans need to relieve themselves as ponies… hoping more of our Changeling side affects her in the years to come. Hold out, drones.

“STOP!!! LET ME GO!!!” The voice of someone echoed around the hive, stopping everyone and turning with a hiss. Entering the cave was one of the drones, and in it's mouth, reminiscent to a dog with a bone, was a struggling human. The human was a woman, as figured by the voice, but she wore loose clothing and had a sack on her back. Despite this, she kept struggling, though wasn't aware that more Changelings surrounded the two. Chrysalis landed with Pupa on her mane, holding onto her mother's horn.

“Oh, and what do we have here?” Chrysalis cackled. “A meal for us?”

“Oh no, not again!” The woman continued to struggle. “I'm not gonna be eaten by some bug horses!”

“Not entirely. Pupa?”

“Yes momma?” Pupa still had one hand on a lock of her mane as she looked down at one of her mother’s eyes.

“Give our ‘guest’ to her own ‘room’. And you, do what you need to do.”

“W-what do you mean by-” Before the woman could ask, the drone holding her bit down a bit. “OW!!! Hey! I'm not a chew toy!”

“*Sorry*” The drone apologized in a muffled voice, leaning his head down and dropping her. The woman got up and sprinted of… only to fall asleep after two steps.

“Oh dear,” Chrysalis cooed. “It seems our venom is much more effective on them than we think… Pupa, tell me, is she dead?”

She climbed down from her mother’s head and to the floor as she ran to the unconscious human and placed two fingers on the human’s neck. She was silent and still for awhile, before she looked up at her mom. “She’s okay. I think she’ll live.” She said, getting up as she looked back at the human woman.

“Good. I was worried we may have overdone it. Not for her sake, of course, but for everyone's meal. Bring her in, and don't dilly dally.”

Pupa nodded before she picked up the human with minor struggle she picked her up, bridal style, and started making her way to the room in which their ‘guests’ were resting in their ‘rooms’. Inside were other people like the woman, but also ponies and other creatures that were able to talk like her family. Some other changelings were around, managing the cocoons with others ate the pink aura surrounding their ‘guests’. Pupa set her in a cocoon, but stopped as something fell from her. She picked up what could be described as a small pink box with some strings coming from it, which ended with some large, fluffy clamps. With a touch, it glowed, in which it read ‘Try Everything ~ Shakira’, with some noise coming from the clamps. Looking to see if anyone's watching, she put the clamps on.

Note: I shouldn't have let Pupa take her in. Now, she’s acting like the ponies and their singing. But, at least her voice is changing… that’s the only good thing I have to say about this.

Chrysalis woke up as she heard more of Pupa’s music playing. She got up and was ready to yell at her to shut her music off and go to bed, but saw her back in the shower.

“♫ Am I original? ~Yeah!~ Am I the only one? ~Yeah!~ Am I sexual? ~Yeah!~ Am I everything you need to help rock your body now?♫” Chrysalis was about to speak, but other changelings appeared and sang along.

“♫ Everybody! ~Yeah!~ Rock Yo Body! ~Yeah!~ Everybody! Rock yo body right… Backstreet’s back, alright!♫”

Chrysalis only blinked. She turned around, went into her room, and locked the door.

“YOU’RE TEARING ME APART, PUPA!!!”

Note: Yes, I yelled that… just glad Pupa didn't hear that. But, I am afraid for Pupa; she's smarter than I anticipated, and seems to know how different she is from the rest of the hive.

“Unicorn filly!” Chrysalis demanded. Pupa, in a burst of green fire, turned into what Chrysalis demanded. “Old Earth Pony!” Another burst. “Those Pony-People pegasus stallion!” Another one. “A human politician!” Donald Trump. “Excellent! Your training is near it's end, Pupa. Soon, you'll be on your first mission, even with your… music.” She turned and walked away.

“Mom?” Pupa spoke. Chrysalis groaned.

“What!?”

She went quiet, twiddling her fingers while Chrysalis raised a brow at her shyness, right before she looked up at her. “Why do I look like those creatures we capture? The ones… that are my size.” She asked as she glanced away again.

“... You're not their size, Pupa. You're much taller than them. I wouldn't be surprised if you're halfway near my size when you reach my age.”

“But why am I not as big as all the other changelings? Those creatures are close to my height than the changelings who are my age and tower above me.” She said, sounding sad as her feelings were felt by the tall equine.

“... Ugh… I don't want to say this, but Pupa… the reason you're so different… it's because you're special.”

“Special?” She tilted her head in confusion.

“Special.” She turned and began to walk away. Pupa followed.

“Am I not a changeling?” She asked as she jumped and grabbed onto the end of her tail.

“Easy, Pupa; You're the heir to my kingdom, even if you don't look like a mini-me.”

“But everyone else does but me.” She said. “Why’s that?”

“They don't look like me! They're all bald!” A Changeling approached to them with Chrysalis’s mane style.

“Look at me!” He spoke with a man's voice “I'm looking just like you!” Chrysalis glared at him. “... I'll get the scissors.”

Pupa sighed as she looked away and towards the floor. “Where did I come from?” She simply asked as she glanced up at her.

“You came from an egg, like everyone else. Albeit, a small egg, but an egg, nonetheless.”

“Then where's my shell? Everyone has a changelings egg shell that's where they came from. But when I tried to find mine, it wasn't there.”

“It was accidentally stepped on. I don't know who, but your egg shell was crushed after you were born. And you don't need that anymore; I threw mine away when I was your age.”

She went quiet as she looked away once again. It seemed that the game of 20 questions was over as she didn't bother asking anything else.

But that silence was short lived. “Mom?”

“What!?” Chrysalis snapped “What what what!?!??”

She flinched at the shout, stuff for a moment before she looked away, her pointed ears going down on her head. “…never mind.” She mumbled, Chrysalis feeling the sad emotions around Pupa.

“... What is it? And this better be your last question or something important.”

She went quiet again before she spoke. “Do you love me?” She asked.

Chrysalis paused and blinked. “What did you just say?”

“Uhm…d-do you love me?” She repeated with a slight stutter.

“... I… I do love you… but I need it to survive.”

It seemed that last part didn’t sit well with the small hybrid as she started tearing up. “S-so you only love m-me so that you c-can live?” She asked.

“That's not what I-!” Chrysalis huffed. “Alright, you want to know why we keep our guests in their pods?”

She glanced away, but slowly nodded as she was curious as well. “Does it have to do with that pink stuff floating in some changeling’s mouths?” She asked.

“Yes.” She flicked her tail, launching Pupa onto her back. “As you already know, you're different from us, even your own mother, and if not for me, and your luck, you may have ceased to exist.”

She squeaked in surprise as she landed on her back, it being a no-so-soft landing. “Wait, are you saying you're not my real mom?” She asked with widened eyes.

“I am your real mom! I meant as in the other children, your sisters… none of them made it. But, don't cry for them; if they were alive, you'd have to fight them for control at your age.”

“But I don't want to fight.” She said. “Fighting is wrong, isn't it?”

“And who told you that? Because fighting is our way; a leader must know when it's time to build, when it's time to watch, and when it's time to act. You are going to have to act, not unless you want your subjects to starve to death.”

“But shouldn't you also know when there's a better way without violence? It's not like you beat up all of your subjects to do what they tell you to… right?”

“We've tried that many times, Pupa. Peaceful living is out of the question; we need to keep our guests in their pods alive and well to feed off of their love. The stronger the love, like couples and families, the more we can feed and survive. You, however, are different, and may be the key to our survival.”

“What do you mean by that?” She asked, referring to being their ‘key to their survival’.

“That pink stuff you see our subjects eat? That's love. Our hunger for love is unquenchable, no matter how much we consume. You, on the other hand, don't need love; you eat fruits and vegetables, and you don't seem to starve that much. Of course, you have to do your… business, but other than that, you're in the next step of what we Changelings need to do.”

“It sounds as if I was some item of yours.” She said as she glanced away.

“Oh? What do you mean by that, Pupa?”

“I…I don't know.” She glanced away. “Am I just for some plan to help the hive?”

“No, not entirely. I'm not going to be around forever, Pupa, and our subjects need a leader. If there's one thing we're great at, the thing that gave us our names, is change. I expect you to change some things, but respect your ancestors; I've done, and so did my mother, and her mother before her. But, you need to prove yourself first; Prove you're the leader that everyone can follow. Trust me, when they're lost, panic will ensue, and we can't have panicking subjects, do we?”

“I guess not.” She mumbled as she looked down at her legs. “But do I have to prove I'm a good leader with violence?” She asked.

“That won't be necessary. The other thing you can prove is cunning, as I did.” A light bulb turned on, literally, as a Changeling screwed in a light bulb above her head. “Tell you what, I think you're ready to leave the hive for your first assignment.”

“N-now?” She asked as she showed a look of nervousness.

“Tomorrow. You will be going to the town of Ponyville and bring in as much guests as possible. You will be given a week once you arrive there; you will mingle with them, become their ‘friends’, and invite them to a location where some of our scouts will be in. Just know that inviting five will be minimum required to gain your subjects trust, but I'm sure you will bring more… right?”

She didn't get an answer as Pupa didn't feel as if she could even make one human follow her. “…what if I can't do it?” She mumbled out a question.

“... I dare not to imagine what will happen to a traitor.”

“T-traitor?” She whimpered as she was now scared on what would happen if she failed.

“Do not fail on your subjects, or else.” She turned and walked to their room. “But I have faith that not only will you succeed, but exceed my expectations.” Her horn glowed and she gave Pupa a kiss on her forehead before putting her in her Cocoon. “Now rest, tomorrow's going to be a long day. I hope your training will pay off.” She turned and mumbled to herself “Or else this would be a huge waste of time.”

Even with her mother believing that she will succeed, she still couldn't help but feel scared over failing. She kept on thinking on what would happen if she failed and didn't want to see the disappointed look on her face again. She's seen that too many times when she was younger.

'I'm not a traitor… I won't be.’ She thought to herself as she started to drift off.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was originally gonna end after the discovery of music for Pupa, but I felt it was too short, so the last part came up and I'm guessing you'll know what's gonna happen next.